Grant
RE-1 Valley School District
$30,000 | Awarded: 2018
To support renovation of the Caliche School gym and concession stand
Grant
$30,000 | Awarded: 2018
To support renovation of the Caliche School gym and concession stand
Search insights, news, and feature stories from the Gates Family Foundation and our partners.
The K-12 education program continues to be driven by the vision that all children in Colorado have access to educational opportunities that support their long-term success. The Foundation’s education strategies have historically been rooted in an effort to address inequities. The 2022 strategies retained that focus and added 1) being responsive to the shifting conditions caused by the pandemic and 2) the impact of climate change.
In 2022, the education team at Gates focused on the launch of the strategic plan that refined some strategies and expanded others. Based on learning from the last five years of grantmaking and community conversations, the Foundation believes supporting innovation within learning environments, supporting the conditions that support innovation, and supporting school system change is the best lever to meaningfully impact educational inequity in Colorado.
In 2022, Gates’ education program paid out $2,739,000 in strategic grants and $485,000 in responsive capital grants.
The Foundation supports the staff to function in roles beyond grantmaking and this includes convening stakeholders and/or funding partners for collective action. The education team was involved in the following activities in 2022:
In 2022, the Natural Resources team enthusiastically implemented our first year of the Foundation’s 2022-2027 strategic plan. Lessons learned during the development of the strategic plan serve as a guide about the most impactful and intentional use of time and resources in the coming years in both grantmaking and in strategic conversations and convenings. We know that tactical partnership is valued by our communities, so we are seeking ways to anticipate needs and be proactive in catalyzing these conversations and efforts.
New federal funding will provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move the needle for communities and partners focused on many of the Foundation’s priority areas. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes billions of dollars for western water infrastructure projects and for climate resilience strategies such as restoring wetland and riparian areas. In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act … (finish sentence).
Our strategic plan outlines the goals of the Natural Resources program:
Colorado communities and economies require dependable and clean water supplies, healthy forests and watersheds, and lands that support agricultural production, wildlife habitat, and a way for people in every corner of the state to access the benefits of being outdoors. We have had the opportunity to sustain commitments on some of these fronts and to foster new growth in others.
In 2022, the Natural Resources program awarded:
Balanced Water Management: The aridification of the West and water shortages across the region highlight the urgency of new solutions and collaborative cross-sector solutions.
Staff took participated in meetings hosted by the Water Table throughout the year. This learning opportunity provides insight both wide and deep into the serious challenges we face across the West in supporting natural habitats, agricultural resources and communities, recreational use, and municipalities and industry with the water quality and quantities required for each use. That learning supported or encouraged our commitments to funding nature-based solutions with Quantified Ventures as a solution in climate change adaptation and building resilience in landscapes and communities and partnering with the Colorado Water Trust to pioneer the tools and research needed to address river flows to benefit the environment and communities. Investments in the San Luis Valley continue to grow in light of water export threats, climate change, and groundwater depletion. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, American Rivers, the Salazar Center, and Colorado Open Lands are all working to advance solutions in this part of the state.
Forest Health and Watershed Restoration: Forest health and watershed health are closely linked, with a majority of Colorado’s water supply coming from forested watersheds.
In 2022 we were continued our collaborative funding approach with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, and other state, federal, and private partners to support the RESTORE Colorado Program. This initiative advances land restoration efforts on river corridors, riparian areas and wetlands and forestland projects and prioritizing cross-jurisdictional projects at scale. Peaks to People is working to proactively treat fire risk in key watersheds in Northern Colorado, proving forest stewardship is an indispensable approach in achieving water security.
Landscape Conservation and Land Trust Capacity Building: We have sustained our commitment to our focused landscapes in Southeast Colorado and the San Louis Valley. Partner organizations Palmer Land Conservancy and the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust are collaborating with partners on innovative conservation tools and thoughtful approaches to ensure that the work done is resilient, community-based, and provides long-term solutions. A total of $1,185,000 of funding was distributed in 2022 in support of work in southeast Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
Multi-year commitments to land trust organizations Keep It Colorado and Montezuma Land Conservancy will sustain and grow the land trust community’s ability to advance policy in accordance with land conservation needs and opportunities while highlighting the history of land conservation and the challenges of creating a future that is equitable and invites all communities to engage with land and conservation in Colorado.
Our strategic plan calls for thoughtful advancement on climate and diversity, equity, and inclusion work across all our programs. These two pillars, which are inextricably intertwined, guide us both internally and externally to encourage critical thinking, to identify new voices and perspectives, and to be accessible to all communities working toward natural resources solutions in our state. We take seriously the opportunity to better elevate underrepresented voices and advance community-driven solutions to these challenges.
For Colorado communities, 2022 was a time of both economic uncertainty and unprecedented federal investment, creating big challenges and opportunities for Colorado communities. Rising inflation and supply chain pains were felt in our homes and in staff rooms. Rising interest rates have added complexity for our nonprofit and community partners looking to find a permanent location or build affordable housing and community assets. At the same time, a huge influx of federal funds is bringing incredible opportunities for state and local governments. The passage of Proposition 123 in 2022 established a statewide affordable housing fund, which promises to increase access to housing supply at a time when our state desperately needs new affordable homes.
At the Foundation, Community Development staff worked to apply the new strategic plan, investing in solutions that advance Economic Mobility and create access to Equitable Community Assets in Colorado. Across the Foundation, staff worked to address structural inequity and invest in climate solutions.
In 2022, the Gates Community Development program committed $1,980,000 in strategic grants to 24 organizations and $743,000 in responsive capital grants to 15 organizations. There were two new community development related Program Related Investments in 2022 totaling $1.55 million: Colorado Housing Accelerator Initiative Fund ($1 million), and Elevation Community Land Trust for the Chestnut Lofts project ($550,000). There were also two Mission Related Investment commitments: to the Greater Colorado Venture Fund II and the Avesta Colorado Fund.
With a new strategic focus on affordable and accessible housing in Colorado, the Foundation made five grants and one PRI and dedicated additional staff time to participating in the sector. Housing grantees in 2022 included 9to5 Colorado to support housing justice efforts for mobile home communities, planning efforts to increase workforce housing in La Junta Colorado, pre-development support for an emerging community land trust — Home Trust of Ouray County — and support for developments led by Urban Land Conservancy and the ArtSpace Space to Create initiative.
This year, the Gates Community Development program supported economic mobility with expanded investment in workforce development, with grant investments in policy through the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative, and investment in practice through ActivateWork. Gates made two notable investments in community wealth building strategies by supporting the Center for Community Wealth Building for collaborative work on access and ownership of commercial property and the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center for its work in rural communities. The Foundation also continued its support of entrepreneurship strategies with 2022 grants to the Latino Leadership Institute’s Latino Entrepreneur Access Program, AYA Foundation and the Black Business Initiative, and First Southwest Community Fund for its work supporting rural entrepreneurs in the San Luis Valley and beyond.
Staff at Gates have observed the need for earlier support to nonprofits and community-serving development efforts as a strategy to increase equitable community assets. In today’s fast-paced and challenging real estate and construction markets, support for planning and design of community-serving assets can make a significant difference in what projects actually get built. In conjunction with the Capital grants program, Gates provided pre-development support to community-driven and BIPOC-led development efforts in 2022, including a GES Coalition-driven site in Globeville, Commún in Loretto Heights, Elevate Athletics in northeast Denver, and Cultivando in Adams County. As we move forward in 2023, we continue to ask the question: Who owns the city? How do we shift ownership of real estate to community-led and community-service projects?
The Foundation also advanced climate-focused work in Community Development with a three-year commitment to support advocacy and policy efforts to shift the transportation sector in Colorado; a Black-led greening initiative in the historic Five Points neighborhood, and two rural agricultural grants.
As we look to 2023 and beyond, the Foundation continues to listen, learn, and look for ways to advance economic mobility, promote community wealth building strategies, increase housing access and affordability, and support the development of community-serving assets. Please reach out with your ideas and insights! You can submit ideas here, or contact me directly here.
The year 2021 was both a time of reflection, with a robust strategic planning process, and a year of action, as Gates staff worked to respond to the evolving impacts of the COVID pandemic, income inequality, and a growing affordable housing crisis in Colorado. Increasing drought, wildfires, and a transitioning energy economy are also bringing uncertainty to Colorado communities.
Over the course of the year, the Foundation developed a new five-year strategic plan. Staff conducted research and outreach to inform our strategic direction, and ultimately established two focus areas for advancing equitable community development:
The Foundation is also integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into its operations and decision making to ensure that community development funding advances a more equitable and inclusive Colorado.
In 2021, the Gates Community Development program committed $530,000 in strategic grants to 13 organizations and $370,000 in responsive capital grants to eight organizations. There were five community development impact investments in 2021 totaling $2.15 million: IndieDwell ($250,000), Montbello Organizing Committee FreshLo Hub ($200,000), Telluride Foundation-Rural Homes for Sale for Locals ($200,000), First Southwest Community Fund ($500,000), Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth ($1,000,000)
Geographically, the Foundation looks for opportunities to invest in both rural and urban communities, including connection between rural and urban areas, such as support for the Rocky Mountain High Plains Food Chain Collaborative, which works with agricultural producers to promote regenerative practices, social justice, and climate change mitigation. Additional agriculture and food systems grants included statewide policy and procurement work by Nourish Colorado and a planning grant for a future grocery store and food hub under development by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
In Metro Denver, Gates supported economic opportunity in the East Colfax neighborhood and in the surrounding communities of east Denver and west Aurora through support of Mile High Connects, the ACT 303 Coalition (which included Enterprise Community Partners, Mi Casa Resource Center, The Fax Partnership, and others). An investment in the former Johnson & Wales Campus by Urban Land Conservancy also included support to BuCu West and the Kitchen Network as it expands its commissary kitchen services to east Denver. A commitment to Montbello Organizing Committee is helping support the community-driven FreshLo Hub development providing access to healthy food and affordable housing in the Montbello neighborhood of northeast Denver.
In southwest Denver, the Foundation supported community-serving projects through capital and programmatic grants. Grantees included El Laboratorio and the River Sisters Partnership (working to advance parks in the region that lift up the importance of Colorado’s rivers and its Latino, Hispanic, and Chicano heritage, as well as the work of Lifespan Local to create a community-serving campus in Westwood.
Housing is becoming a greater focus for the Foundation as the strain to find affordable housing worsens across the state. Relevant grants in 2021 included Enterprise Community Partner’s statewide policy and implementation work, and Radian’s work to advance accessory dwelling units as a strategy to increase housing in Denver. In addition, an investment in the Rural Homes for Sale for Locals effort will support housing development underway for the communities of Nucla, Norwood, Ridgway, and Ouray in southwest Colorado.
As we look to the future, the Foundation is actively seeking ways to advance economic mobility, promote community wealth building strategies, increase housing access and affordability, and support the development of other community-serving assets. Please reach out with your ideas and insights!
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Economic Opportunity Coalition | $20,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Capital LLC | $50,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Capital LLC | $100,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Fund I | $1,000,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity > Natural Resources |
||
| Bike Hub (The) | $20,000 |
Community Development > Multi-Modal Access and Infrastructure |
||
| Boss Generation | $15,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| BuCu West | $50,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| BuCu West | $20,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Buff Venture Fund | $1,000,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Building a Better Colorado | $75,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| Community Resource Center | $25,000 |
Community Development > Assistance to Nonprofits |
||
| Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth | $1,000,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| Denver Public Market | $50,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| El Laboratorio | $20,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| Enterprise Community Partners Inc. | $80,000 |
Community Development > Economic Development |
||
| Fax Partnership (The) | $60,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $500,000 |
Community Development > Economic Development |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $5,000 |
Community Development > Convening |
||
| Focus Points Family Resource Center | $20,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| History Colorado | $20,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| indieDwell | $250,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Latino Leadership Institute | $50,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Lifespan Local | $75,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Montbello Organizing Committee | $200,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Nourish CO | $35,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Radian | $25,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Radian | $10,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation | $90,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Telluride Foundation | $200,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Urban Land Conservancy | $150,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Ute Mountain Ute Tribe | $15,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
The year 2021 was both a time of reflection, with a robust strategic planning process, and a year of action, as Gates staff worked to respond to the evolving impacts of the COVID pandemic, income inequality, and a growing affordable housing crisis in Colorado. Increasing drought, wildfires, and a transitioning energy economy are also bringing uncertainty to Colorado communities.
Over the course of the year, the Foundation developed a new five-year strategic plan. Staff conducted research and outreach to inform our strategic direction, and ultimately established two focus areas for advancing equitable community development:
The Foundation is also integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into its operations and decision making to ensure that community development funding advances a more equitable and inclusive Colorado.
In 2021, the Gates Community Development program committed $530,000 in strategic grants to 13 organizations and $370,000 in responsive capital grants to eight organizations. There were five community development impact investments in 2021 totaling $2.15 million: IndieDwell ($250,000), Montbello Organizing Committee FreshLo Hub ($200,000), Telluride Foundation-Rural Homes for Sale for Locals ($200,000), First Southwest Community Fund ($500,000), Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth ($1,000,000)
Geographically, the Foundation looks for opportunities to invest in both rural and urban communities, including connection between rural and urban areas, such as support for the Rocky Mountain High Plains Food Chain Collaborative, which works with agricultural producers to promote regenerative practices, social justice, and climate change mitigation. Additional agriculture and food systems grants included statewide policy and procurement work by Nourish Colorado and a planning grant for a future grocery store and food hub under development by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
In Metro Denver, Gates supported economic opportunity in the East Colfax neighborhood and in the surrounding communities of east Denver and west Aurora through support of Mile High Connects, the ACT 303 Coalition (which included Enterprise Community Partners, Mi Casa Resource Center, The Fax Partnership, and others). An investment in the former Johnson & Wales Campus by Urban Land Conservancy also included support to BuCu West and the Kitchen Network as it expands its commissary kitchen services to east Denver. A commitment to Montbello Organizing Committee is helping support the community-driven FreshLo Hub development providing access to healthy food and affordable housing in the Montbello neighborhood of northeast Denver.
In southwest Denver, the Foundation supported community-serving projects through capital and programmatic grants. Grantees included El Laboratorio and the River Sisters Partnership (working to advance parks in the region that lift up the importance of Colorado’s rivers and its Latino, Hispanic, and Chicano heritage, as well as the work of Lifespan Local to create a community-serving campus in Westwood.
Housing is becoming a greater focus for the Foundation as the strain to find affordable housing worsens across the state. Relevant grants in 2021 included Enterprise Community Partner’s statewide policy and implementation work, and Radian’s work to advance accessory dwelling units as a strategy to increase housing in Denver. In addition, an investment in the Rural Homes for Sale for Locals effort will support housing development underway for the communities of Nucla, Norwood, Ridgway, and Ouray in southwest Colorado.
As we look to the future, the Foundation is actively seeking ways to advance economic mobility, promote community wealth building strategies, increase housing access and affordability, and support the development of other community-serving assets. Please reach out with your ideas and insights!
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Economic Opportunity Coalition | $20,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Capital LLC | $50,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Capital LLC | $100,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Avesta Fund I | $1,000,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity > Natural Resources |
||
| Bike Hub (The) | $20,000 |
Community Development > Multi-Modal Access and Infrastructure |
||
| Boss Generation | $15,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| BuCu West | $50,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| BuCu West | $20,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Buff Venture Fund | $1,000,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Building a Better Colorado | $75,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| Community Resource Center | $25,000 |
Community Development > Assistance to Nonprofits |
||
| Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth | $1,000,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| Denver Public Market | $50,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| El Laboratorio | $20,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| Enterprise Community Partners Inc. | $80,000 |
Community Development > Economic Development |
||
| Fax Partnership (The) | $60,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $500,000 |
Community Development > Economic Development |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $5,000 |
Community Development > Convening |
||
| Focus Points Family Resource Center | $20,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| History Colorado | $20,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| indieDwell | $250,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Latino Leadership Institute | $50,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Lifespan Local | $75,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Montbello Organizing Committee | $200,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Nourish CO | $35,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Radian | $25,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Radian | $10,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation | $90,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Telluride Foundation | $200,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Urban Land Conservancy | $150,000 |
Community Development |
||
| Ute Mountain Ute Tribe | $15,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
During the past year, the Natural Resources team had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time and energy reflecting on what was learned over the last five years implementing the Foundation’s 2016-21 strategic plan and looking forward to the next five years. In order to develop and shape a new strategic plan that reflects the realities of the moment and encompasses a wider array of views, staff conducted research, sought input from grantees, community leaders, and thought partners, and reflected on the lessons learned in pursuing the objectives and strategies identified in the previous plan.
Part of what we heard is that our ability to act as a strategic partner — coupling financial support with intellectual engagement and roll-up-the-sleeves determination — has resulted in catalytic efforts and built trust among an increasingly diverse set of allies. Progress against the ambitious objectives commonly held for Colorado’s natural resources requires a hunger for seeding and supporting innovation, an abiding passion for cooperative solutions, and a redoubled commitment to thoughtful leadership on behalf of future generations. Our team understands that in order to find solutions or make progress on complex issues, this work must be inclusive, innovative, and opportunistic.
In 2021 and beyond, relevance and results at scale demand the type of entrepreneurial and investment-based approaches that are a hallmark of Gates’ initiated programs, and climate change in particular presents an opportunity to lead. Our communities and economies depend upon a reliable snowpack and water supplies, healthy forests and watersheds, and the conservation of lands that protect and sustain wildlife, habitat, food production, and rural communities. After a year of planning, the Natural Resources program is committed to advancing ideas and solutions focused on: Balanced Water Management, Forest Health and Watershed Restoration, and Landscape Conservation. In addition, we are increasing our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sector.
The Natural Resources annual report letter in 2020 noted that year as the worst year for Colorado wildfires on record. At the time that letter was written, the Marshall Fire had yet to sweep through suburban neighborhoods in Boulder County. This fire quickly became the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history, destroying more than 1,000 homes and displacing more than 30,000 people. As increasing populations lead to an expanded wildland-urban interface and climate change continues to exacerbate the challenges associated with unhealthy forests, the Natural Resources’ Forest Health program is investing in large-scale collaborative efforts like the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative as well as tools and technology like Salo Sciences to address the ”new normal” of destructive wildfires in the West.
As river flows decrease and demand increases, Gates continues to deepen its commitment to solutions that advance conservation efforts, and management policies and practices that promote Balanced Water Management. A grant to the Sonoran Institute is helping advance key Colorado Water Plan implementation priorities while supporting community-based planning and prioritization.
In the face of a rapidly changing climate and both contracting and exploding communities in rural Colorado, the need for scaled Landscape Conservation is increasingly urgent. Acknowledging the significant gap that remains in the financial resources needed to achieve landscape-scale conservation solutions, Gates invested in the Trust for Public Land and its work in advancing conservation finance measures to address this gap and generate resources dedicated to addressing significant, long-term conservation goals.
Underlying the work of Gates Family Foundation and the Natural Resources program is a recognition that those most impacted by climate change are communities least represented in many of the organizations the Natural Resources program has supported. The strategic planning process provided an opportunity for intentional outreach, listening, and dialog regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. That work has just begun. A grant to the Next 100 Colorado is a strategic step in supporting policies, leadership development, and community-based efforts that center equity in the conservation work of Colorado.
We welcome ongoing dialog and collaboration as the Gates Family Foundation continues to work alongside its partners to foster an inclusive and resilient Colorado.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Rivers, Inc. | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| Aspen Valley Land Trust | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Avesta Fund I | $1,000,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity > Natural Resources |
||
| Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust | $20,000 |
Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building |
||
| Colorado Future Farmers of America Foundation | $50,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Continental Divide Trail Coalition | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Ember Infrastructure Management | $4,000,000 |
Natural Resources |
||
| Encourage Capital – One State Investment Partners Fund | $500,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| New Venture Fund | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| Next 100 Colorado | $105,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Palmer Land Conservancy | $500,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Salo Sciences | $100,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Sand County Foundation, Inc. | $13,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Sonoran Institute | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| The Nature Conservancy | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| Trust For Public Land | $250,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Water Education Colorado | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
In 2021, Gates Family Foundation embarked on a foundation-wide strategic planning process. The education team at Gates took an aligned but distinct approach that involved lots of listening to stakeholders, including school leaders, teachers, and students. We learned significant lessons during the pandemic, notably that education was undergoing a once-in-a-generation shift — and as funders, we need to think differently about how we do grantmaking. While our new strategic direction did not fully go into effect until 2022, our 2021 grants and initiated work began to reflect our evolving direction:
Gates Family Foundation’s K-12 education program continues to be driven by the vision that all children in Colorado have access to educational opportunities that support their long-term success. To advance this, in 2021 we focused our resources to seed innovation and support effective and diverse autonomous public school models; pursue system-level reforms that create the conditions necessary to sustain effective schools; support community-based programs in rural areas; develop more robust human capital pipelines across the state; and sustain media, advocacy, research, and engagement efforts that strengthen the education ecosystem.
In 2021, Gates’ education program paid out $2,227,000 in strategic grants to 29 organizations and $420,000 in responsive capital grants.
In response to national and local conversations and challenges around racial equity, the Gates education and communication staff initiated and organized a youth and teacher webinar with a focus on racial justice and mental health. Organizing partners included Chalkbeat, Colorado Youth Congress, Young Americans Aspiring for Social and Political Action (YAASPA), and the Colorado Education Initiative. The event was youth-led and Chalkbeat facilitated. Close to 100 people attended the webinar.
Gates’ close partner and grantee Lyra Colorado continued to advance Climatarium to rural communities throughout the state. Specifically, Gates gave a grant to River Science to expand its college and career credentialed hydrology pathway beyond Cañon City High School to all three school districts in the Fremont County Collaborative. Lyra and Gates staff also helped to launch a new regional collaborative with four Yampa Valley school districts to explore interest in collaborating to develop a climate change education pathway for students. And Lyra’s Environmental Science & Climate Institute (ESCI) engages students interested in environmental sciences and climate change through a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. After successfully launching ESCI in 2020, Lyra found a strong partner in Fort Lewis College, which hosted the 2021 ESCI Summer Institute with 24 students from the five-district region.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy 360 | $15,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Bellwether Education Partners Inc. | $50,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| Chalkbeat | $100,000 |
Education > Conditions for Sustained Innovation |
||
| Climb Higher Colorado | $40,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Colorado Education Organizing Funder Collaborative (CEO) | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado League of Charter Schools | $40,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Colorado Mountain College Foundation | $120,000 |
Education > Conditions for Sustained Innovation |
||
| Colorado State University | $40,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Colorado Succeeds | $40,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado Youth Congress | $40,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Convivir Colorado | $25,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 | $40,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| DSST Public Schools | $150,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Early Connections Learning Centers | $25,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Edgewater Collective | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Education Reform Now | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Fremont RE-2 School District | $100,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Generation Schools | $100,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government | $343,500 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Kwiyagat Community Academy | $250,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Learning Council (The) | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Lyra Colorado | $315,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Mercy Housing Mountain Plains | $25,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Moonshot edVentures | $60,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| National Council on Teacher Quality | $25,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| River Science | $75,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| Stead School (The) | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Teach For America | $25,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| University of Denver | $120,000 |
Education > School System Innovation |
||
| Valley Settlement | $40,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Wild Bear Nature Center | $25,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Youthroots | $25,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
The year of 2020 was a devastating time for Colorado communities. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and the economy created uncertainty and loss across the state. Unemployment rates rose sharply, food insecurity and housing instability increased, and many small businesses shuttered or struggled to find ways to operate in a changed world. Local governments and nonprofits worked to meet the basic needs of their communities with less revenue and while working to protect staff in a time of uncertainty.
COVID-19 also exacerbated and revealed existing community disparities and structural inequity. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have been harder hit by both the virus and the economic impacts from it. Concurrently, repeated incidents of police brutality against BIPOC have led to a broader discourse about systemic racial injustice in America, including access to capital, housing, jobs, education, transit, parks, public space, and many other components of community development. In 2020, Gates’ Community Development program shifted staff time and resources toward COVID response with a focus on equity, including identification and support of organizations addressing food insecurity, housing insecurity, and support to small businesses left out of federal response programs.
In addition to COVID response grants, the Gates Community Development program committed $495,000 in strategic grants to eight organizations in 2020, and $1,335,000 in responsive capital grants to 12 organizations. In 2020, the Foundation approved two (non-COVID) community development impact investments, including a deposit in Native American Bank (fixed income, $240,000), and the Metro Denver Impact Facility (debt, $1.25M).
Access to Economic Opportunity was the most robust strategy area in 2020, and the Foundation continues to advance community wealth building strategies, such as the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center to advance co-op conversions around Colorado; Mi Casa Resource Center and the ACT303 effort to support small businesses and community planning in East Colfax; and the NPX effort to catalyze economic mobility through large investments in select nonprofits.
Within the Informed Communities program area, Gates staff continued to support the Colorado Media Project as a multi-funder, community-led initiative to strengthen and transform Colorado’s local journalism ecosystem. CMP priorities in 2020 included working with partners to launch the Colorado News Collaborative, which in June hired veteran journalist Laura Frank as its first executive director; developing and awarding a pool of funds to ensure diverse and multi-lingual communities have access vital COVID news and information; and convening journalists and community members for frank conversations on journalism’s role in systemic racism. CMP also supported 25 Colorado newsrooms with $5,000 challenge grants for the year-end #newsCOneeds campaign, which resulted in more than $580,000 raised for the cohort in the month of December. Apart from CMP, program officers from all of Gates’ focus areas continued to provide direct grants to newsrooms covering important issues, including Chalkbeat Colorado, Colorado Public Radio, High Country News, and Rocky Mountain PBS. Gates also made an impact investment in The Colorado Sun, bolstering its ability to scale as a member-supported statewide newsroom.
Additional grantee highlights include:
MILE HIGH CONNECTS: In 2020, Gates re-committed support to the Mile High Connects collaborative table. MHC was quick to respond to COVID and launched a mini-grants program and additional supports. MHC has been participating as a selected site in the national Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge, bringing national funding and capital pipelines for equitable development to the metro area. MHC member and previous GFF grantee Enterprise Community Partners worked on eviction prevention and COVID-related housing policy and received support in 2020 through Gates’ COVID Response Fund.
SAN LUIS VALLEY LOCAL FOODS COALITION: The SLVLFC is a long-time Gates grantee and partner, and a 2020 grant to the organization helped the organization continue the Valley Roots Food Hub and serve as a key player in regional and statewide food system efforts. Through the Gates’ COVID Response Fund, the Foundation also supported the Colorado Farm and Food Systems Respond and Rebuild Fund, which launched in April 2020 with philanthropic support, and was awarded an additional $1 million from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to expand the work.
COMMUNITY BUILDERS: In 2020, Gates also recommitted support to long-time partner Community Builders to guide planning processes that advance economic opportunity and smart growth in Colorado towns and communities.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artspace Projects, Inc. | $75,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Bethel Community Center | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Big Green (The) | $20,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club | $35,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Chaffee County | $35,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Bright Future Foundation for Eagle County | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| CASA of the Seventh Judicial District, Inc. | $30,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Center for People with Disabilities | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Chalkbeat | $75,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities > Education > Advocacy |
||
| Clear Creek County | $40,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Community Builders | $160,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| Community Food Bank | $30,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys | $10,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Denver Public Library | $150,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Denver Santa Claus Shop, Inc. | $15,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Denver Urban Gardens | $15,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| El Alba LLC | $55,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| El Laboratorio | $25,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum | $25,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Fox Theatre Walsenburg | $50,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Friends of the La Veta Library, Inc. | $25,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Fund for a Healthier Colorado (The) | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Goodwill of Colorado | $45,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Inner City Health Center | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Judi’s House | $50,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Karis Inc. | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Latino Community Foundation of Colorado | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families > COVID-19 Response |
||
| Mi Casa Resource Center | $30,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Mile High Connects | $150,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Montbello Organizing Committee | $150,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| Museum of Friends | $25,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| New Voice Strategies | $2,500 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| NewFarms | $35,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| NPX Charitable Inc. | $25,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Project Worthmore | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| RiNo Gives Back | $35,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| River Bridge Regional Center | $10,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center | $50,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Rocky Mountain Public Media | $100,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Rose Community Foundation – Colorado Media Project | $667,772 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Roundup River Ranch | $250,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Routt County United Way | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition | $40,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| SARA House | $10,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Sedgwick County | $30,000 |
Community Development > Placemaking |
||
| Solar Energy International | $15,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| South Central Council of Governments | $15,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| South Park Historical Foundation | $10,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Springboard Child Care | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| St. George’s Episcopal Church | $50,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Stepping Stones of the Roaring Fork Valley, Inc. | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| The Colorado Sun | $1,500,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Town of Bristol Improvements Board | $10,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| University of Colorado Anschutz | $30,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities > COVID-19 Response |
||
| Village Exchange Center | $20,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| YWCA of Boulder County | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
The mission of Gates Family Foundation’s K-12 education program is to ensure that all children in Colorado have access to education opportunities that support their long-term success. To advance this mission, we focus our resources to seed innovation and support effective and diverse autonomous public school models; pursue system-level reforms that create the conditions necessary to sustain effective schools; support community-based programs in rural areas; develop more robust human capital pipelines across the state; and sustain media, advocacy, research, and engagement efforts that strengthen the education ecosystem.
In 2020, Gates’ education program awarded $1,185,000 in strategic grants to 15 organizations and $525,000 in responsive capital grants to 12 organizations. This past year was characterized by unprecedented disruptions to student learning. The education program adapted grantmaking and approaches to respond quickly and flexibly to the changing realities of K-12 education in Colorado.
COVID Response
In the weeks after the March COVID-19 shutdowns, Gates staff gathered information from district partners on food distribution activities and needs. The Foundation rapidly deployed $22,500 in food security grants to key district partners.
Gates, Lyra Colorado, and a coalition of partners (RESCHOOL Colorado, Empower Schools, Donnell-Kay Foundation, Colorado Succeeds, RootED Denver, and Daniels Fund) launched the Education Innovation Fund – a K-12 initiative to support nimble and creative responses to meet students needs in the wake of COVID-19. The fund awarded 34 promising projects $320,000 in grants. Gates and partners captured lessons learned from the effort through video, virtual convenings, and surveys.
Gates worked with the Governor’s Office and Gary Community Ventures to launch the Response, Innovation, and Student Equity (RISE) Planning and Design Support (PDS) fund. This initiative supported 15 prospective applicants to the Governor’s RISE fund with resources and design support to develop impactful applications and strong implementation plans. The RISE PDS Fund prioritized support to rural applicants serving diverse student populations. Eight of the 15 PDS-funded projects were ultimately selected to receive significant grants from the RISE fund.
Gates staff also provided support to the Governor’s Office and the RISE Selection Committee with analysis, tools, and facilitation throughout the RISE review process. In total, the RISE fund awarded $41 million to 22 innovative efforts across the state.
Southwest Environment and Climate Institute
Lyra Colorado and Gates continue to partner on education projects statewide. Gates is a supporter of Lyra both through financial and staff time support. Gates and Lyra partnered with six southwest Colorado school districts and Fort Lewis College to launch the Colorado Environment and Climate Institute (ECI), a program that supports students with unique and shared climate change-focused curriculum, project-based learning, and career exploration. In August of 2020, students from all participating districts convened in Durango for a three-day kick-off Summer Institute. Gatherings were held outdoors, and the event strictly adhered to all public health guidelines. Students, teachers, and administrators who participated in the Institute left feeling energized about ECI and the year ahead.
Efforts to elevate student voice
There were several Gates-led efforts to include students in decision making.
Gates staff co-hosted a webinar with Chalkbeat Colorado and the Colorado Education Initiative to elevate student voices during the pandemic. Ten students from across the state shared their experiences of COVID-19 related impacts on school and home life, opinions and recommendations on remote learning, and their engagement with current events, including the racial justice movement. More than 170 parents, teachers, and community leaders logged in to hear from the panel.
In partnership with YouthRoots, Gates created a remote Philanthropy Fellowship for youth 18-24 who are interested in learning more about the work of foundations and nonprofits. Eleven foundations signed up to host two fellows each for the fall of 2021. The Growing Insight and Voice (GIV) Fellowship will provide opportunities for youth to discover and explore potential careers in the philanthropic and nonprofit fields; improve the ability of the philanthropic sector to meet community needs by including youth voice, expertise, and wisdom in foundation strategies; and develop a pipeline for youth from communities underrepresented in philanthropy to enter the field.
Gates worked in partnership with Lyra to recruit, train, and support youth advisors to inform all stages of planning, curriculum, and development for the Colorado Environmental Science and Climate Institute and to support grant review for the Governor’s RISE Fund.
Investments
Since 2018, Gates staff have investigated a number of edtech funds. Investments in 2020 include Reach Capital and Owl Ventures.
Reach Capital invests in people and solutions that broaden access to quality education. Edtech products in Reach’s portfolio are grounded in strong pedagogy, research-driven, and support students with limited educational opportunities due to their socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and geography.
Owl Ventures is at the forefront of the education technology wave and is recognized as the leader in the sector. As barriers that once impeded technological innovation in K-12 classrooms are rapidly removed, the opportunity grows to support transformative edtech companies that reshape learning and increase access for all students.
Collaboratives
In addition to grantmaking, the Gates education team also worked closely with strategic partners on some existing and some exciting new initiatives in 2020:
Colorado Education Organizing Funder Collaborative (CEO) – Gates staff has participated in this collaborative for six years, committing funding and staff time to support CEO’s mission to reduce the achievement and opportunity gaps for low-income public school students of color in the Denver metro area. CEO harnesses support for community organizing that educates, builds leadership among, and engages low-income parents and young people to advocate for effective education reform solutions. Over the years, CEO has increased collaborative efforts among grantees, has developed and implemented grantee self-assessment surveys of organizational strength and core organizing competencies, has provided responsive technical assistance to grantees based on survey results and shared learning, and has enhanced grantee operational and organizing capacity. Over the past six years Gates’ commitment of $375,000 to support the collaborative effort was joined by $1,744,000 in commitments from other foundations.
In 2020, Gates and Lyra Colorado staff initiated a meeting with multiple partners, including school districts in Fremont County (Cañon City Schools RE-1, Fremont School District RE-2, and Cotopaxi School District RE-3) and Pueblo Community College. These participants went on to form a multi-district collaborative, The Fremont Multidistrict Initiative, to reinvent how a region can cooperatively utilize resources and sustainably provide an outstanding educational experience for rural students by expanding opportunities and offering access to robust college and career pathways, regardless of the district they attend. To accomplish this work, the initiative established a steering committee composed of the superintendents from each district, as well as the dean of the Fremont campus of Pueblo Community College. Two of Gates’ grantees, Empower Schools and Trendlines, supported the initiative.
Through all of this work, the education team at Gates strives to be thoughtful partners and to listen to all participants in the education community, in order to make progress in advancing educational equity and access to opportunity for all students in Colorado. We are grateful to all of the organizations and communities with whom we have been honored to partner with over the course of this most extraordinary year.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5280 High School | $40,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| A+ Colorado | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Academy of Advanced Learning | $30,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| BookTrails Inc. | $10,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Chalkbeat | $75,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities > Education > Advocacy |
||
| Clayton Early Learning | $125,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Colorado Charter Facility Solutions | $100,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Colorado Education Organizing Funder Collaborative (CEO) | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado League of Charter Schools | $30,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Colorado Succeeds | $60,000 |
Education > Innovation & Incubation |
||
| Colorado Youth Congress | $50,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Education Reform Now | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Empower Community High School | $25,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Firefly Autism | $40,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Hart Center for Public Service | $30,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| HOPE Center | $10,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Keystone Policy Center | $25,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| Lighthouse Writers Workshop Inc. | $60,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| National Council on Teacher Quality | $25,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| National Wildlife Federation | $120,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Owl Ventures | $3,000,000 |
Education |
||
| Oxford Teachers Academy | $50,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| Reach Capital III | $3,000,000 |
Education |
||
| RootED | $400,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| Seasons Schoolhouse Inc. | $15,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Valley Settlement | $40,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| YMCA of Northern Colorado | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
Throughout 2020, Gates Family Foundation staff and board members worked alongside the state’s nonprofit, foundation, government, and education leaders to leverage all of the Foundation’s resources in response to the evolving COVID crisis.
In the stories below, you can read about Gates’ responsive grantmaking, impact investments, and funding partnerships developed in 2020 to support Colorado communities’ response to the COVID pandemic:
Gates Commits $250,000 to Statewide COVID-19 Response Fund (March 26)
Gates Announces Additional $610,000 in COVID-19 Rapid Response Grants (April 17)
Gates Commits and Leverages $14.8 Million to Support Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 (May 13)
Ten Trusted Community News Sources Awarded COVID-19 Informed Communities Grants (May 25)
34 Innovative Projects Receive Total of $335,000 from COVID-19 Education Fund (Sept. 1)
Gates Announces Third Round of 2020 COVID Response Grants (Sept. 18)
15 Teams Selected to Receive Planning and Design Support to Apply for RISE Education Fund (Oct. 29)
25 Colorado Newsrooms Selected for Matching Grants to Raise a Quarter-Million for Local Journalism (Nov. 6)
More than $300K Total Awarded to 34 Rural Theaters via Public-Private COVID Support Initiative (Jan. 6, 2021)
Gates Salutes 32 RISE Fund Grantees Sharing Over $40 Million to Innovate and Transform Public Education (Jan. 25, 2021)
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa School District | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Archuleta School District #50 Jt. | $3,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Canon City School District | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Center for African American Health | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Center for Community Wealth Building | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Chinook Fund – Another World is Possible Fund | $20,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger | $40,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Colorado Coalition for the Homeless | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Colorado Enterprise Fund – FirstBank PPP Credit Facility | $6,250,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Hospital Association – Colorado Hospitals for a Healthy Environment | $40,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Colorado Housing and Finance Authority – Energize Colorado Gap Fund | $100,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Housing and Finance Authority – Energize Colorado Gap Fund | $1,000,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Lending Source – Character Based Small Business Lending Fund | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Lending Source – Character Based Small Business Lending Fund | $250,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Lending Source – FirstBank PPP Credit Facility | $4,666,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Arts & Culture |
||
| Colorado Succeeds | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Compañeros | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Cotopaxi School District RE-3 | $2,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Denver Food Rescue | $15,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Denver Foundation – Arts and Culture Relief Fund | $100,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Arts & Culture |
||
| Denver Foundation – Black Resilience in Colorado Fund | $70,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| DreamSpring | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Enterprise Community Partners Inc. | $40,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Family Resource Center Association Inc. | $45,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| First Southwest Community Fund | $500,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Food Bank of the Rockies | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Fremont RE-2 School District | $2,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Impact Charitable | $20,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Keep it Colorado | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Land Trust Capacity Building |
||
| Keystone Policy Center | $40,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| La Puente Home | $22,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Lake County School District R-1 | $3,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Latino Community Foundation of Colorado | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families > COVID-19 Response |
||
| LiveWell Colorado – Colorado Farmer and Food System Fund | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Lyra Colorado | $27,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Education |
||
| Lyra Colorado | $125,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Education |
||
| Lyra Colorado | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Education |
||
| Main Street Phoenix Project | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Mile High United Way | $275,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| NPX Charitable Inc. | $75,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Philanthropy Colorado | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Pine River Shares | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Re:Vision | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| RISE Colorado | $10,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| RISE Colorado | $8,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Silverton School District | $1,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Sistahbiz | $25,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Sun Valley Community Center | $2,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| The Colorado Education Initiative | $50,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Education |
||
| The Delores Project | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| The GrowHaus | $5,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| The Powerhouse | $7,500 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
||
| Trailhead Institute – Colorado Farmer and Food System Fund | $70,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| University of Colorado Anschutz | $30,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities > COVID-19 Response |
||
| Urban Peak | $15,000 |
COVID-19 Response > Well-Being of Children > Youth & Families |
Daring to look back, the unprecedented challenges of 2020 have profoundly impacted life locally and globally. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous year in Colorado brought into sharper focus some of the themes about which Gates’ Natural Resources program staff have been exploring and learning.
A forest health crisis that began building nearly 20 years ago intersected with a rapidly intensifying climate crisis and, in 2020, materialized into the worst year for Colorado wildfires on record. In a single season, more than 665,000 acres burned at a cost of more than $266 million for suppression alone. A total of 1,152 homes were destroyed; two lives were lost. The conditions that led to these catastrophic fires persist, and landscape-scale solutions to forest management are urgently needed to create greater resilience for people and nature.
The state’s water supply and demand gap – the difference between how much water is provided by snowpack and how much water is needed for consumptive uses – is worsening. Today, that gap poses perhaps an even greater threat to Colorado’s economy and ways of life than ever before. The winter snowpack of 2020-2021 did little to provide relief to Colorado’s watersheds, as evidenced by almost non-existent spring runoff. With no relief in sight, Colorado must provide leadership for the hard work necessary to invest in resilience and adapt to this “new normal.”
A slowly-building crisis of relevance is also evident in Colorado’s conservation field. Values of diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t reflected often enough in the management of natural resources, the protection of landscapes, or in the voices advocating for the same at every level. Efforts to make conservation more inclusive and diverse will take time; this is a Gates Family Foundation priority now and into the future.
Other program priorities of Gates’ Natural Resources remain critically important:
Agricultural land is still being converted by residential and industrial development at an alarming rate, as an aging cohort of farmers and ranchers face increasingly challenging social and economic pressures.
Critical wildlife populations and habitats are at even greater risk from an expanded set of perils that includes a changing climate, loss of agricultural stewardship, and management mandates by popular vote.
Recreational use patterns and intensity have spiked throughout Colorado, as pandemic-weary residents seek refuge and release in the outdoors – creating more challenges for budget-starved public land managers.
We are responding to these challenges. The issues described above have directly informed our efforts to develop the Foundation’s next five-year strategic plan, the process for which began in 2020 and will continue through the end of 2021. We look forward to sharing this new strategy with partners and grantees, including the many new relationships that will be required to make progress. We know that we must double down on listening, bringing diverse stakeholders together, and finding common ground.
Supporting the conservation of Colorado’s natural resources is a unique privilege, and it is a role that our staff and board carry out with honor and humility. Our work is only as strong as our grantees and funding partners. Thank you for the opportunity.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Forum Fund | $13,500 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Colorado State Conservation Board | $125,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Colorado State University | $150,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Crested Butte Land Trust | $100,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Friends of Ski-Hi Park | $80,000 |
Community Building > Parks & Recreation |
||
| Gunnison County | $50,000 |
Community Building > Parks & Recreation |
||
| High Line Canal Conservancy | $700,000 |
Community Building > Parks & Recreation |
||
| Montezuma Land Conservancy | $158,000 |
Natural Resources > Land Trust Capacity Building |
||
| Mountain Studies Institute | $27,500 |
Natural Resources > Ecosystem Services |
||
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | $225,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
||
| Quivira Coalition | $50,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Town of Hot Sulphur Springs | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Landscape Conservation |
||
| Town of San Luis | $25,000 |
Community Building > Parks & Recreation |
||
| Trout Unlimited/Colorado Council | $250,000 |
Natural Resources > Water |
||
| Western Slope Conservation Center | $25,000 |
Community Building > Parks & Recreation |
||
| Wildlands Restoration Volunteers | $25,000 |
Natural Resources > Stewardship at Scale |
The mission of Gates Family Foundation’s K-12 education program is to ensure that all children in Colorado have access to education opportunities that support their long-term success.
To advance this mission, we focus our resources to seed innovation and support effective and diverse autonomous public school models; pursue system-level reforms that create the conditions necessary to sustain effective schools; support community-based programs in rural areas; develop more robust human capital pipelines across the state; and sustain media, advocacy, research, and engagement efforts that strengthen the education ecosystem.
In 2019, the education program awarded $2,745,750 in strategic grants to 23 organizations and $214,765 in responsive capital grants to seven organizations. These commitments are detailed in the list below, and we’d like to spotlight just a few of the organizations that are changing lives:
RISE Colorado is training principals and school leaders and increasing their knowledge and capacity regarding best practices relating to family engagement, educational equity, systemic racism, and how power and privilege impacts education and school systems.
Keystone Policy Center is working with Ute Mountain Ute tribal leaders to design a new tribal school to be located on the reservation. Financial and technical support from Gates has helped the tribe-led team explore the concept and feasibility of such a school, and then define the pathway to execution and operation.
Climb Higher Colorado is providing a fellowship for education leaders to gain skills, develop a network, and construct and implement strategies necessary to address systemic educational challenges facing students and families.
Colorado Future Farmers is providing professional development and mentoring to agriculture teachers across Colorado in an effort to increase embedded support and retention.
National Black Child Development Institute launched The Denver Journal of Education and Community, a community-based academic journal and multi-media platform that aims to build awareness of community perspectives of Pre-K to 12 education in the Denver metro region.
In addition to grantmaking, the Gates education team also worked closely with strategic partners on some exciting new initiatives in 2019:
We joined with local and national partners to launch Lyra Colorado, an independent nonprofit dedicated to supporting educator and community empowerment by creating more responsive education systems and structures. Lyra works with the three Denver Public Schools Innovation Zones to ensure their long-term sustainability and advance their mission to create systems that support and elevate educators. Lyra also supported the creation of a regional partnership in southwest Colorado to help five school districts partner and two higher education institutions to create more opportunities for students. Gates long-time partner Empower Schools is leading that work with financial support from Lyra.
We wrapped up a multi-year process with the Roaring Fork School District and regional charter schools that resulted in a District-Charter Collaboration Compact of shared, formal agreements that benefit students and families. The Gates team continues to provide implementation support to the district and schools to ensure they are meeting their shared goals of achieving equity and equal access to public education in the Roaring Fork Valley.
We worked with three rural communities – Cañon City, Durango, and Alamosa – to advance local initiatives in K-12 education. The effort was a partnership with Wend Collective to harness the creative capacity of rural communities to solve problems within their own education systems. With The Civic Canopy as an implementation partner, Gates and Wend supported local groups in each geography with targeted facilitation, analysis, and strategy development to advance big ideas for their schools, students, and communities. Gates published a case study on the effort to share learning on the initiative.
Through all of this work, the education team at Gates strives to leverage all of the Foundation’s resources – dollars, people, relationships, credibility, access, convening capability, and physical space – to make progress in advancing educational equity and access to opportunity for all children in Colorado. We are grateful for the opportunity to work and learn alongside our partners, and we celebrate their successes.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Achievers Initiative | $25,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
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| America Succeeds | $670,000 |
Education > Innovation & Incubation |
||
| Aurora Community School | $25,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Canon City School District | $35,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| Canon City School District | $100,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| CiviCO | $80,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Clayton Early Learning | $25,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Colorado Charter Facility Solutions | $100,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Colorado Children’s Campaign | $100,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado Children’s Campaign | $25,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado Education Organizing Funder Collaborative (CEO) | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Colorado Succeeds | $5,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Colorado Youth Congress | $50,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Compass for Lifelong Discovery | $9,765 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Dove’s Nest | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Empower Community High School | $35,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Empower Community High School | $50,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Forum280 | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Generation Schools | $60,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Jefferson County School District | $30,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain | $50,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| Keystone Center | $100,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| KIPP Colorado Schools | $25,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Lyra Colorado | $151,231 |
Education > Innovation & Incubation |
||
| Montessori del Mundo | $30,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Moonshot edVentures | $120,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| Pagosa Peak Open School | $50,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Rio Grande Child Development and Family Services | $35,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| RISE Colorado | $100,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| RootED | $20,750 |
Education > Innovation & Incubation |
||
| RootED | $500,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Teach For America | $175,000 |
Education > Human Capital |
||
| Teach For America | $40,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center | $25,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| The Colorado Education Initiative | $20,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
||
| The Wildflower Foundation | $85,000 |
Education > Autonomous Public Schools |
||
| Trendlines | $85,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| University of Colorado Foundation | $20,000 |
Education > Systems Reform |
||
| Valley Settlement | $20,000 |
Community Building > Education |
||
| We Are FARMily Center | $25,000 |
Education > Rural Community-Based Programs |
||
| Youth Initiative of Adams County | $20,000 |
Education > Advocacy |
Colorado’s rapidly changing rural and urban communities are both an opportunity and a challenge in ensuring stronger, more resilient communities for all. In 2019, Gates Family Foundation advanced vibrant communities through our Community Development, Informed Communities, Capital Grants and Impact Investing programs by supporting projects that built upon each other to create leverage and integrate cross-sector solutions.
In a thriving and inclusive ecosystem, entrepreneurship and community wealth-building empowers individuals, improves standards of living, and creates jobs, prosperity, and innovation in the economy. While the Denver Metro Area continued to experience unprecedented growth in 2019, small business ownership is in danger of drifting further from the hands of local entrepreneurs, especially with the economic upheaval in 2020. Very little capital flows to entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, or living in rural Colorado. Gates is working strategically to help weave together an entrepreneurial ecosystem that bridges market gaps through its partnerships with organizations that reach extremely marginalized entrepreneurs who are poised for growth.
Transportation plays a huge role in the lives of individuals, our communities, and the way communities grow. With increasing population growth and limited funding, Colorado’s aging transportation system is outdated and insufficient, and fossil fuel vehicle emissions continue to be a significant contributor to climate change. In 2019 we prioritized supporting organizations focused on engaging communities in re-envisioning transportation and mobility options, creatively solving problems, and holding government leaders accountable for setting and achieving ambitious goals.
Gates also has served an important role in catalyzing a growing network of food hubs here in Colorado. The aggregation and distribution of local food products are an essential component of scaling up local food systems, and food hubs have the potential to be financially viable businesses that demonstrate a significant commitment to place while building a strong local economy.
In 2019, the Community Development program committed $932,500 in strategic grants to 13 organizations and $465,000 in responsive capital grants to 12 organizations. New impact investments supporting vibrant communities in 2019 included a $500,000 MRI to Greater Colorado Venture Fund to support entrepreneurs in rural Colorado, a $500,000 PRI to DreamSpring to support its Small Business Impact Fund, and a $3 million MRI to Rose Affordable Housing Fund V to provide safe, energy efficient and affordable housing as a stable base for families and seniors and to connect residents with a range of health, educational, and social services.
A few additional highlights include:
ELEVATION COMMUNITY LAND TRUST: Joined with six foundations and Urban Land Conservancy to launch a new public-private partnership to acquire or develop 700 permanently affordable homes and serve 2,000 residents in five years in Front Range communities from Ft. Collins to the Denver metro area.
EAST COLFAX / SUN VALLEY REDEVELOPMENT: Helped catalyze the Federal and Colfax cloverleaf redevelopment project, which received major investment from Colorado Department of Transportation and the City and County of Denver in 2019.
COLORADO MEDIA PROJECT: Committed $1.125 million over three years to launch the Colorado Media Project with the University of Denver and national and local funders. The goal of the initiative is to strengthen public-service journalism across Colorado through collaboration, business innovation, and community engagement.
| Grantee | Amount Awarded | Type | Strategy | Area Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption Exchange (The) | $30,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Alliance for Sustainable Colorado | $30,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Bent County Historical Society | $20,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Beulah Heritage Preservation League | $15,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Bicycle Colorado | $225,000 |
Community Development > Multi-Modal Mobility |
||
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver | $120,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Center for African American Health | $50,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Center for Community Wealth Building | $100,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| City of Pueblo | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| CityCraft Foundation | $30,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Cleo Parker Robinson Dance | $50,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Clinica Tepeyac | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Colorado Forum Fund | $65,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| Colorado Impact Fund – Bridge Fund I | $1,500,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Colorado Nonprofit Association | $20,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| Colorado Public Radio | $175,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Colorado Springs Food Rescue | $50,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Community Ministry of Southwest Denver | $40,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Concrete Couch | $20,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts | $60,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Denver Press Club | $35,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Denver South Park and Pacific Historical Society | $10,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| DreamSpring | $500,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| DreamSpring | $100,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| First Baptist Church of Denver | $15,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center | $30,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Greater Colorado Venture Fund | $500,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| GRID Alternatives Colorado | $10,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Groundwork Denver Inc. | $40,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| Guidestone Colorado | $20,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Heartbeat Denver, Inc. | $40,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| High Country News | $150,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities > Community Development > Natural Resources |
||
| Homeward Bound of the Grand Valley | $75,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| KUTE, Inc. | $15,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| Montezuma County Historical Society | $15,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project | $45,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Mountain Family Center | $20,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| National Trust for Historic Preservation | $22,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| PGIM Impact Value Partners | $3,000,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Pulliam Community Building Foundation | $20,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Educational and Charitable Foundation | $97,500 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute | $150,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Rocky Mountain Public Media | $325,000 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Rose Affordable Housing Preservation Fund V | $3,000,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| Rose Andom Center | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Salud Family Health Centers | $30,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| San Juan County Historical Society | $40,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition | $40,000 |
Community Development > Food Systems & Agriculture |
||
| Springs Rescue Mission | $40,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Swallow Hill Music Association | $25,000 |
Community Building > Arts & Culture |
||
| The Other Side Academy | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| Together We Count | $40,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| University of Colorado Healthcare Innovation Fund | $1,000,000 |
Community Building > Civic Projects & Leadership |
||
| University of Denver – Colorado Media Project | $232,228 |
Community Building > Informed Communities |
||
| Veterans Community Project | $25,000 |
Community Building > Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families |
||
| West Colfax Business Improvement District | $60,000 |
Community Development > Community Planning |
||
| West Community Economic Development Corp. | $75,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
||
| West Community Economic Development Corp. | $25,000 |
Community Development > Access to Economic Opportunity |
2019 marked a year of continued evolution within the Gates Family Foundation’s Natural Resources program. Most notably, we welcomed Whitney Johnson as a new program officer. Whitney’s role is shared between Community Development and Natural Resources, which will help these programs further define complementary priorities, such as rural economic development and sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
The program awarded a total of more than $1.3 million in strategic grants to 15 organizations and $255,000 in responsive grants from our capital program went to five organizations in 2019. In addition, we made several significant new natural resources impact investments, including $3 million in an industrial impact fund focused on resource efficiencies in energy, transportation, and the built environment and $1 million in a fund focused on mitigation banking and carbon sequestration.
Our Focus Landscapes initiative, a key element of our Natural Resources program, underwent a comprehensive review, revision, and re-launch in 2019. This initiative was launched in 2011 to help Colorado achieve landscape-scale conservation through the protection of private lands in specific geographies. A great deal of progress was made in North Park, southeast Colorado, and the San Luis Valley, resulting in more than 200,000 acres of farm and ranch lands conserved, along with their associated ecological values. The strategic review process was done in close partnership with the land trust organizations representing those geographies, providing lessons-learned and an exploration of emerging opportunities. The revised Focus Landscapes initiative will first focus on two geographies: southeast Colorado and the San Luis Valley. Our five-year commitment to these landscapes is also more ambitious in scope, working with the partner organizations, Palmer Land Trust and Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust, to implement a more comprehensive conservation strategy with outcomes that emphasize organizational sustainability, collaboration, community, and innovation that extends well beyond traditional private land conservation easements.
2019 also highlighted the significance of other Natural Resources program priorities, to address challenges exacerbated by a changing climate and continued population growth – trends very likely to persist well into the future. Such variables also continue to shape how the Foundation invests in strategic priorities. Increasingly, Natural Resources investments are being made collaboratively with other foundations and public funding partners. The scale of these challenges is staggering, but the opportunities for private philanthropy to work together toward common objectives are increasingly evident.
Continuing to leverage the entrepreneurial and collaborative approach that has come to define the Natural Resources program, significant achievements made in 2019 include:
The development and successful launch of the RESTORE Colorado Fund in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The fund’s first round of awards totaled approximately $2.7 million to eleven different large-scale habitat restoration and enhancement projects across the state.
The launch of the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative (RMRI), led by Gates grantee the National Wild Turkey Federation and in close partnership with the United States Forest Service. The RMRI is focused on large-scale implementation of forest health and watershed restoration beginning in southwest Colorado, helping to break down jurisdictional barriers to forest health treatments and creating a 10-year collaborative watershed restoration strategy.
Continued work to advance key water sustainability objectives, including the identification of new durable sources of funding for the full implementation of Colorado’s Water Plan.
The conservation of Trinidad’s iconic Fisher’s Peak, formerly known as Crazy French Ranch, which in June 2020 become Colorado’s newest and second-largest state park with more than 19,000 acres of wilderness to explore, which is also expected to drive economic growth in southern Colorado.
Finally, the Foundation’s commitment to Colorado’s land trusts remains steadfast. 2019 was the first full year for Keep It Colorado, the hub organization co-launched by Gates and Great Outdoors Colorado to serve the state’s diverse land trust community. In the past year, Keep It Colorado has hired additional staff, implemented policy, communications, and fundraising strategies, and engaged land trust leaders statewide with learning and organizational development opportunities. While much work remains to ensure the long-term sustainability of Colorado’s land trust community, Keep It Colorado continues to serve as a shining example of conservation leadership and collaboration, even in trying times.
Supporting the conservation and stewardship of Colorado’s natural resources is an exercise in continual learning and adaptation. It is also a humbling privilege to contribute to the Foundation’s long-standing conservation legacy. Our work is only as strong as our grantees and funding partners, and that strength is growing. As we look ahead, I am confident that the relationships we continue to build at every level will result in great progress and keep us on the leading edge of conservation in Colorado.